The most appropriate response to praise....

All praise is Allah's alone....

Two things one should bring to mind when one is praised:

1) "I know myself, and my own shortcomings, better than the one praising me."

2) "Allah knows my shortcomings and the darknesses within my soul better than me and the one praising me."
   
(As such I know I do not deserve any praise -- all praise belongs to the One Who has concealed my faults from others.)


Two prayers one should implore Allah with when one is praised:

1) "O Allah, please do not hold me accountable to what they think and say about me! For you know my shortcomings dearly!"

2) "O Allah, make me better than what they think and say about me! For you know how far I have yet to go!"

Lesson of the day 1368

Ayahs of the day:
Believers, if any of you turns from religion, God will bring forth a people whom God loves and who love God, humble toward believers, powerful against scoffers, struggling for the sake of God without fearing the blame of the critic. That is the blessing of God on whomever God wills. And God is all-encompassing, all-knowing. [5: 54]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever follows a path seeking knowledge thereby, Allah will make a path to Paradise easy for him. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
A sign that Allah has turned away from a servant is that He makes him busy with matters that are of no concern to him. When a person reaches such a point, he must repent and ask Allah to guide him to those matters that are important and beneficial. [Hasan al-Basri]

Guidance of the day:
Among the things that God had bid them join are kinship bonds. Be careful to preserve the kinship bonds. Beware of severing them, for it is one of the greatest sins and its punishment is hastened in this life, after which there shall be severe punishment and painful torment prepared by God in the hereafter. Similarly, the reward for benevolence and nurturing kinship bonds is hastened in this life, after which there shall be immense reward in the hereafter.

Ali by al_Husayn (may God be pleased with both) counseled one of his children thus, "Beware of keeping the company with one who has severed his kinship bonds, for I have seen such a one being cursed in the Book of God the Exalted". The prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) said: "Mercy doesn't descends on people among whom is one who has severed his kinship bonds." Now if mercy doesn't descend on people in the midst of whom is one who has severed his kinship bonds, how much more does the man himself deserve this? How immense shall God's loathing for him be and His cutting off from all goodness! [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Bad temper is a sign of inferiority. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Exaggerated sensitiveness is an expression of the feeling of inferiority. The greater the feeling of inferiority that has been experienced, the more powerful is the urge to conquest and the more violent the emotional agitation. The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.

Pearls of Wisdom 364

1. Laziness of the common folk in worshiping their Lord is a grave matter, but that same laziness from the teachers and students of Sacred Knowledge is even more so.

2. The arrogance of wealthy is something to be detested, but that shown by the poor is even more so.

3. It is Jihad which lays down the last brick of Imaan.

4. Rein in your tongue from complaining about others, and you will be granted a life of happiness.

5. Weep regarding that day which passed by without any goodly acts adorning it.

6. The reward for every virtue has its measure, yet the reward for patience has no measure.

7. The thankful Believer is closest to well-being.

8. Your fear of Allah is commensurate of how well you know Him, and your lack of fear regarding Him is commensurate with your ignorance of Him.

9. You are determined to lose yourself in the baggage of this world, while the world is equally determined to remove you from itself.

10. Taking pains to remove the pains of others is the true essence of generosity. [Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu]

Latest means to understanding "hijab"

Once, a girl bought an iPad. When her father saw it he asked,
"What was the first thing you did when you bought it?"
"I put an anti-scratch sticker on the screen and bought a cover for the iPad," she replied.
"Did someone force you to?"
"No."
"Don't you think it's an insult to the manufacturer??"
"No dad, in fact they even recommend using a cover for the iPad."
"Did you cover it because it was cheap and ugly?"
"Actually, I covered it because I didn't want it to get damaged and decrease in value."
"When you put the cover on didn't it reduce the iPad's beauty?"
"I think it looks better, and its worth it for the protection it gives my iPad."
The father looked lovingly at his daughter and said ...
"Hijab..."
Nothing else..

Lesson of the day 1367

Ayahs of the day:
But God is relenting toward anyone who repents and makes amends after having done wrong; for God is most forgiving, most merciful. [5: 39]

Hadith of the day:
May Allah make radiant the face of the one who hears something from us and conveys it as he heard it, for perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed will understand it better than the one who heard it. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
One who often thinks and reflects develops his foresight and vision. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
The most important duty for parents as concerns their children is to teach them virtue and courtesy, so that they may grow up loving goodness, accepting truth, respectful of religious matters, but disdainful of worldly ones, always giving priority to things of the hereafter.

Those who fail to bring up their children in a disciplined and virtuous manner, but plant in their hearts the love of this world and its appetites, and render them careless as concerns religion, then they see them rebelling against them, let them blame only themselves. Loss is more likely to affect the neglectful. Much of the disloyalty witnessed these days is due to neglecting what has been mentioned earlier. This becomes evident to anyone who observes and reflects on how things are. Power and ability are only by God, the High and Formidable. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
If you have great talents, hard work will improve them; if moderate abilities, hard work will supply their deficiencies. Nothing is denied to well-directed labor; nothing is ever to be attained without it. Hard work is the soul of business and the keystone of prosperity in this life and the next. In ordinary business of life, industry can do anything which genius can do, and very many things it cannot.

Pearls of Wisdom 363

1. Reliance on God, contentment, and frugality are such a treasury and wealth that they can be exchanged for nothing. [Badi Uzzaman Nursi]

2. When it has been said that the angels spread out their wings in the path of the one seeking sacred knowledge, then just imagine what Allah has in store for such a person. [Abu Ali Daqqaq]

3. Wisdom takes root in the heart only when dunya and its trappings have been uprooted from it. [Abu Ali al Daqqaq]

4. The greatest I'tikaf that one can observe is that the Divine commands and prohibitions never leave his sight. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]

5. The accomplished spiritual is he who has achieved the precarious balance between hope and fear. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]

6. Those who love the beloved of Allah (Awliyas) are counted by Allah as being from them. [Abu Othman Sa'ad]

7. The greatness of a believer is in his God-Consciousness, and his pride in his obedience and his courage lies in his display of good character under all circumstances. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

8. The tranquility of both worlds lies in the understanding of these two words -- generosity towards friends, and forbearance towards enemies. [Hafiz Shiraz]

9. Know that it is not your family and friends, but rather your deen which truly looks after you. [Hasan radi Allah anhu]

10. In the Divine court lineage has no place, rather it is the righteousness of action which is the ultimate arbiter. [Owais al Qarni]

True Gratitude....

“Dare to Be

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.

When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.

When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.

When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.

Dare to be the best you can –

At all times, Dare to be!”

― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Lesson of the day 1366

Ayahs of the day:
Believers, be conscious of God, and seek the way to God, and struggle for the sake of God, that you may thrive. [5: 35]

Hadith of the day:
When Allah wills good for a person, He grants him understanding of the religion. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
The worst of men is the one who does not mind being watched while doing an evil deed. [Luqman Hakeem]

Guidance of the day:
Children have rights over their parents. They should be provided for as long as they need to be, educated with excellence, taught praiseworthy traits of character, excellent attributes, and beautiful moral qualities, and protected from the contrary of these. They should receive good names, and prior to all this, their mothers should have been chosen from blessed, virtuous origins.

Parents should be fair in  providing for their children and not prefer one over the other simply because of his natural inclinations or other whimsical reasons. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
No one who is  thoroughly occupied with something worthwhile is ever miserable. It is better to wear out than to rust out. The more we do, the more we can do. The one who gives his children habits of hard work provides for them better than by giving them a fortune.

Pearls of Wisdom 362

1. To repent from a sin is a necessary obligation, but to prevent oneself from sin is even more so.

2. Showing patience in adversity is difficult, but safeguarding the fruits of patience is even more so.

3. The changing of the times is always strange, but being heedless throughout them is even more so.

4. The unfolding of your affairs is always imminent, but the arrival of death is even more so.

5. Shyness and modesty of men is an excellent virtue, but the shyness and modesty of women is even more so.

7. Repentance of an old man is a wonderful thing, but that of the youth is even more so.

8. The generosity of a prince is an exalted affair, but that of a peasant is even more so.

9. The sin of the youth is a grave thing indeed, but that committed by an old man is even more so.

10. The fools indulgence in petty worldliness is an evil thing, but the indulgence of the learned is even more so. [Above quotes by Abu Bakr Radi Allah anhu]

Muslims always "On duty"

When an European Airline was initially launched, a Muslim gentleman was traveling in the first class section. An air hostess approached him with a complimentary drink, this was an alcoholic drink so that man politely refused.
The air hostess returned but this time brought the drink on a platter, designed to appeal and impress, however, the Muslim man again politely refused, explaining he doesn't drink alcohol.

...The air hostess was surprised and concerned and informed the manager. The manager approached the man with another platter, now designed with flowers and he questioned, “is there something wrong with our service? Please enjoy the drink, it is a complimentary offer.” The man replied, “Thank you, but I am a Muslim and I do not drink alcohol.” The manager still insisted that the man take the drink. The Muslim man then proposed that the manager should give the drink to the pilot first. The manager stated, “how can the pilot drink alcohol, he’s on duty!? And if he drinks there are very high chances for the plane to crash.”

The passenger with tears in his eyes replied, “I am a Muslim and I am always on duty in order to protect my Imaan (Faith) and if I drink I will crash my whole life here and in the Hereafter."

Lesson of the day 1365

Ayahs of the day:
Believers, remember God's favor to you when some people intended to act against you, then withheld their devices from you. And be conscious of God; and let it be God in whom the believers trust. [5: 11]

Hadith of the day:
If the son of Adam had two valleys filled with wealth he would seek third, but nothing will fill the belly of the son of Adam but dust. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
It is harmful to avoid the thought of death. For no one can or will escape the sure and destined end that comes sooner or later to every mortal being. This meditation is therefore an essential necessity for every lover of God. [Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak]

Guidance of the day:
Let the parents beware to the extreme from praying against their disloyal child, for this can only increase him in harm, corruption, and disloyalty. Some of this damage is bound to cause more harm to the parents in this world. Since the prayers of the parents (for or against their children) are always accepted (by God), they should pray for, and not against them.

God may very well reform them through the baraka of their prayers, they may then revert to being loyal. The result will be that their parents will again benefit from their loyalty and be greatly pleased with them, while the children will obtain reward for being loyal and escape the sin of disloyalty. God it is who grants success and assistance. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
It is not the greatness of a man's means that makes him independent, so much as to smallness of his wants. Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one's self?

Pearls of Wisdom 361

1. To know with certainty that you will never receive less than what was destined for you is the essence of reliance upon Allah. [Abul Hasan bu Shaikhi]

2. Spend from what Allah has given you. Do not fear poverty. Allah will give you as He has promised. No one who has been generous has ever perished in destitution. [Ibn Arabi]

3. Prayer and fasting are the greatest things a person can do, yet to remove all the evil traits from the heart such as pride, arrogance, rancor, malice, love of this world etc, rank even higher. [Shaykh al Kharqani]

4. Seek to keep the company of those who illumine one's inward and outward states with the light of their intimacy with the Divine. [Shaykh Abul Abbas]

5. There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]

6. Who is better among Allah's worshippers than the one who sees others as better than him? [Abu Bakr Saidlani]

7. The greatest blessings is that one is freed from the shackles of ego, for what greater veil is there between us and the Creator other than the ego. [Abu Bakr Saidlani]

8. To be angered quickly is a sign that one is in the grip of his ego. [Abu Bakr Wasti]

9. The one who longs for Allah is blessed with limbs which are free from stains of sins. [Ahmad Masruq]

10. The one who has tasted the sweetness of slave hood finds no repose in leisure pursuits. [Abdullah Manazil]

Just a reminder....

 Opportunities for the Believers

Winter -- long nights and short days --  an opportunity to get closer to our Creator through our tahajjud at night and fasting during the day,inshaAllah. Let us get used to doing these (best possible things) when it is sooo easy, and afterwards inshaAllah they will still continue (during summer), because of the sweet taste we will develop for them and the result will be -- we will never want to quit.

These two things were always part of the routine  of our righteous predecessors -- whose footsteps if we follow we will inshaAllah succeed in this world and the next. May Allah Most High give us the resolve to do them and make them easy for us, and make this new year a very special experience for us, ameen.

Please read the worthwhile articles below on how to get started and the proven spiritual and health benefits of regularly fasting.

http://productivemuslim.com/ramadan-series-creating-a-habit-of-fasting-after-ramadan-2/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/fasting-health_b_1557043.html

Lesson of the day 1364

Ayahs of the day:
God has promised those who believe and do good works that they shall have forgiveness, and a tremendous reward. [5: 9]

Hadith of the day:
The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer; if it is good then he has succeeded and prospered, but if it is lacking then he has lost and failed. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
Spend from what Allah has given you. Do not fear poverty. Allah will give you as He has promised. No one who has been generous has ever perished in destitution. [Ibn Arabi]

Guidance of the day:
Parents should help their children be loyal to them. They should be forgiving, not subject their children to too much pressure when demanding their rights, nor insist overmuch that is to be done to perfection, especially these days when benevolence and loyalty have become scarce, and rebellion and disloyalty have become rife.

When the parents are forgiving to their children, they save and deliver them from the sin of rebellion and the punishment it should attract in this world and the next, and they themselves obtain a reward from God, a generous wage that is better, more perfect, superior, and longer lasting than their children's loyalty. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after. He who stops being better stops being good. Where we cannot invent, we may at least improve. Undoubtedly a man is to labor to better his condition, but first to better himself.

Muharram Mubarak!!!

Madeenah....I love you!
by Asma bint Shameem

In the middle of the desert, across the seven seas
Lies a  lush valley most beloved to me

There are no skyscrapers, there is no fancy life
There is nothing of this dunya yet it's the most beautiful sight

Beautiful are its little houses, so charming are its dusty roads 
So gorgeous are its palm trees, bending over with their loads

Its nights are so fragrant, its days are so blessed
no one can describe it....no words to express it

In Madeenah there is peace, Madeenah is a healing
It is a sanctuary for every heart that is feeling

When I look in the streets, I see young children playing 
I wonder if they realize the enormity of this blessing

To be brought up in the blessed streets of this sacred city
To wake up every morning and to enjoy its sanctity

What I would give to be in their place, I wish it were me instead
I wish...I make dua......as I lay here in my bed

Ya Rabbi, take me to Madeenah....that's where I belong
That's my place...everywhere else seems so wrong

I just don't belong here.... I simply don't blend in
Nothing else seems right, I just don't fit in

It's Madeenah that I desire, to Madeenah is my Calling
Madeenah is the place my achy heart is longing

How my heart craves.... How it yearns to be with you
Madeenah is where I left my heart, O Madeenah, how I miss you!

Every time I visit you, with immense peace I am overcome 
My restless heart finds peace... a feeling... I'm finally home

I love you O Madeenah, I love you in so many ways
I want to spend my life there, for the rest of my days

In Madeenah I want to live and in Madeenah I want to die
To be buried with ten thousand Sahaabah, in al-Baqee' I want to lie

So maybe... when we are resurrected, with the Sahaabah I will be
I am hoping Allaah will forgive me, that's the only chance for me

And just like how Umar al-Faarooq often used to pray
I make the same dua to Allaah as he; and I also say

O Allaah, give me Shahaadah and grant me this Sacred City
For indeed it is pure.... it is blessed....it is Madeenahtun-Nabi

Pearls of Wisdom 360

1. Make it your habit to weep in the awe of the Divine, so you may laugh on the Day of Resurrection. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]

2. The best of people are those who, after being generous to people, seek generosity only from Allah. [Abu Hafs al Haddad]

3. He who remembers Allah with all his heart will find that everything other than Allah will leave his heart. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]

4. He who comes to the realization of his Lord after much contemplation and reflection will find easy increase in all of his other worships. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]

5. Wonder of wonders! How is it that the same people who leave food out of fear of sickness cannot leave sin out of fear of the Hereafter. [Yahya bin Mu'adh]

6. Everyone in the world is a guest, and his money is but a loan. The guest must go sooner of later and the loan must be returned. [Ibn Mus'ud radi Allah anhu]

7. What anxiety is there for the one who is detached from the world? And what need for excuses is there for the one who remains silent?

8. Wealth and poverty are Divine gifts -- Wealth is corrupted by forgetfulness/heedlessness, poverty by greed. [Al Qushayri]

9. It is false hope which expects forgiveness -- while knowingly persisting in sin. [Abdullah bin Khabeeq]

10. The true believer is he whose obedience to Allah and His messenger is as if he holds the Qur'an in one hand and the hadith in the other. [Shaykh al Jonayd]

Lesson of the Day 1363

Ayahs of the day:
Believers, be upstanding for God as witnesses for justice; and do not let the hatred of some people hurt you so much that you are not fair. Be fair; that is kin to  conscience. And be conscious of God, for God is aware of what you do. [5: 8]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me. [Bukhari]

Wise quote of the day:
It is easy to know God. But to find the way to God is painfully hard. You cannot find God without passing beyond your own being. [Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak]

Guidance of the day:
Just as a person should serve his parents graciously during their life, so should he continue to do so after they pass away. This consists in praying and asking forgiveness for them, giving charity on their behalf, settling their debts, executing their wills, preserving their kinship bonds, and treating kindly their friends and those they used to love. These are all included under loyalty to one's parents, as stated in many ahadiths.

There are great benefits in praying and asking forgiveness for the dead and in giving out charity on their behalf. Therefore, no person should neglect doing so for the two parents in particular, then relatives, those with rights upon one, and all Muslims in general. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Impossibility -- a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools. To the timid and hesitating everything is impossible because it seems so. Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.

Beautiful one liners....

1) Give Allah what's right, not what's left.

2) Man's way leads to a hopeless end - Allah's way leads to an endless hope.

3) A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4) He who kneels before Allah can stand before anyone.

5) In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let him be the full stop.

6) Don't put a question mark where Allah has put a full stop.

7) Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the mosque for a face lift.

8) When praying, don't give Allah instructions, just report for duty.

9) Don't wait for six strong men to take you to the mosque.

10) We don't change Allah's message -- His message changes us.

11) The mosque is prayer-conditioned.

12) When Allah ordains, He sustains.

13) Glad tiding -- Exposure to Allah will prevent burning.

14) Plan ahead - It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

15) Most people want to serve Allah, but only in an advisory position.

16) Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Qur'an.

17) Exercise daily - Walk with Allah.

18) Never give the devil a ride - He will always want to drive.

19) Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20) Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

21) He, who angers you, controls you.

22) Worry is the darkroom in which negatives are developed.

23) Give Satan an inch and he will be a ruler.

24) Allah doesn't call the qualified - He qualifies the called.

25) Read the Qur'an - It will scare the hell out of you.

Pearls of Wisdom 359

1. The deceased wait your imminent arrival, so gather now your provisions for that journey. [Da'ud Tai]

2. He who recognizes himself has recognized his Lord, and he who has recognized his Lord has achieved everything there is to achieve---------through his submission to His commands. [Sahl bin Abdullah tustari]

3. The initial stage of intimacy with the Divine is contentment and the beginning of contentment lies in leaving your vain desires. [Sahl bin Abdullah Tustari]

4. Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all, it is only in the darkest nights that the stars shine most brilliantly. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

5. The one who wants to expand his needs and wants should get used to the grief that comes from being deprived. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

6. Accept the truth from whoever says it, whether they are young or old and beware of being given to refusal and arrogance. [Shaykh Bayanuni]

7. Blessings tend to flee from those who have no measure of them. [Sari al Saqti]

8. Do not think that controlling your anger is somehow removed from good manners. [Sari al Saqti]

9. Without a steady dose of knowledge, wisdom, and the advice from the sages, our hearts will wither and die. [Fatah Musli]

10. Whoever is pleased with himself is veiled from his Lord. [Shah al Kirmani]

Eid Mubarak !!!

Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik
by Asma bint Shameem

As I pack my belongings..... and get ready for this great Journey
I cry with gratitude.....once more You've blessed me
Tears flowing.....in ecstasy my heart flies
My soul sings....my whole being cries
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

But what are these words..... what do they really mean?
Do I appreciate them?...Do I just repeat what I've seen?
Do I really understand....
Do I even comprehend....
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Labbaik means I am here, Ya Rabbee.....I respond to Your call
With a heart full of hope....for that Mercy that envelops all
I'm here to serve You......I'm here to comply
To You I submit......until the day I die
Labbaik......Allaahumma Labbaik

Labbaik means total devotion.....submission to Allaah Almighty
Labbaik means sincere obedience and commitment completely
Labbaik means surrender
.....for now and for ever
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Labbaik means I'm sorry.....so sorry for all my past
Sorry for my mistakes and my shortcomings of last
I beg You, ya Allaah.....please forgive me
I repent to you, O Maulaa......do accept me
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Labbaik means to change.....so that I live my life for You
Whatever I say and do, from now on will only be to please You
I will give up my evil ways
I will fix my nights and days
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

But Labbaik also means.......I love you, Ya Rabbee
Nothing else matters....but that You're pleased with me
It.s Your Pleasure that I seek
Though I'm so sinful and weak
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Head bowed low.... remorseful, and so full of fear
I.m ashamed of my life....repentant, as I stand here
Yearning Your forgiveness
I cry out in wretchedness.....
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Will I change for the better....will I turn my life around?
Or will I succumb to temptation, wherever it is found?
When will I even begin to see
The faults that are so obvious in me?
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

I'll stop dealing in Ribaa..... I'll give up my Haraam earning
I'll wear the Hijaab...... no more lying , no backbiting
Never a single prayer will I neglect
My character, I'll make...upright and erect
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Don't let me become heedless, I pray....Don't make me forget
All the promises I've made, Ya Allaah....all the goals that I've set
Keep me strong, keep me steadfast
Let this feeling in me, forever last
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

For I don't know when I'll die and I don't know where it will be
But I hope I am in Ihraam....when the Angel comes to me
'Cos if I die so, the Prophet told you and me
when raised from the dead, my first words'll be.....
Labbaik....Allaahumma Labbaik

Lesson of the Day 1362

Ayahs of the Day:
And remember God's favor to you, and the divine compact in which God joined you when you said, "We hear and obey." And be conscious of God, for God knows what is in hearts. [5: 7]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise. [Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The ways to God are as many as there are created beings. But the shortest and easiest is to serve others, not to bother others, and to make others happy. [Abu Sa'id]

Guidance of the Day:
As for the parents, God commands that we treat them with loyalty and benevolence, and forbids that we treat them badly. He enjoins this with utmost severity and strongly warns against contravention in His formidable Book and by the tongue of His noble Messenger. He couples the injunction to be good to the parents to that of His Tawhid and worship, and He couples thanking them to thanking Him.

Loyalty when they grow old deserved special mention because elderly people are in need for someone to look after them, manage their affairs, and serve them. Strive arduously to serve them well, this shall be your way of struggling in the way of God. Rights of parents are the greatest following those of God and those of His Messenger.

Therefore, do serve them graciously, treat them kindly, obey them, and be humble in their presence. Never show them that you expect them to show gratitude, and never perceive their service as tedious. Count their need for you and expectations that you will serve them and be good to them among the greatest gifts to you and the best of the good works He has granted you to perform. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for Thought:
The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which will last forever. The best argument for an immortal life is the existence of a man who deserves one. If your contribution has been vital there will always be somebody to pick up where you left off, and that will be your claim to immortality. The reward of great men is that, long after they have died, one is not quite sure that they are dead.

Pearls of Wisdom 358

1. Reckon yourself before you are reckoned and weigh yourself before you are weighed. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

2. The one who reckons his words as part of his actions speaks very little-------only about those things which are of concern to him. [Omar bin Abdul Azeez]

3. There is no Hajj nor guarding the enemy lines and jihad which is more difficult than restraining the tongue. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

4. Whoever is able to control himself in a state of anger, Allah protects him from the evils of Satan. [Hasan al Basri]

5. The worshippers of Allah do not worship him in anyway better than avoiding what Allah has forbidden. [Hasan al Basri]

6. The righteous deeds are performed by the righteous and the wicked. However, only the truthful ones avoid the sinful deeds. [SahlAbdullah Tustari]

7. The Quran primarily addresses the heart of the believer. The heart is the locus of Divine guidance, The Quran reaches the heart through the reflection of its meaning. [Ibn Mus'u bin d radi Allah anhu]

8. The best of which that gives life to the heart is the recitation of the Quran when accompanied with deep reflection. [Shakh Fadl]

9. The presence of Taqwa is recognized by three things---------rushing to fulfill Allah's commands; seeking nothing from people; speaking and acting only for what benefits one in this life and in the Hereafter. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]

10. Only through detachment from Dunya does the slave reach his Lord. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]

20 Pain Cures You Can Find in Your Kitchen

1 - Cure a toothache with cloves 

Got a toothache and can’t get to the dentist? Gently chewing on a clove can ease tooth pain and gum inflammation for two hours straight, say UCLA researchers. Experts point to a natural compound in cloves called eugenol, a powerful, natural anesthetic. Bonus: Sprinkling a ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves on meals daily may also protect your ticker. Scientists say this simple action helps stabilize blood sugar, plus dampen production of artery-clogging cholesterol in as little as three weeks.

Read more here

Lesson of the Day 1361

Ayahs of the Day:
As for those who believe in God with steadfast adherence, God will admit them to mercy from the divine, and grace. And God will lead them to the divine by a straight path. [4: 175]

Hadith of the Day:
The worst of the people in status on the Day of Resurrection will be the one whom people avoid for fear of his evil. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Hoping for Paradise without good works, hoping for the intercession of the Prophet ( peace and blessings upon him) without embodying the sunnah, and hoping for mercy while constantly in sin, are nothing but absurdities. [Ma'ruf al Kharkhi]

Guidance of the Day:
Among the most incumbent and important good manners of enjoining good and forbidding evil is to avoid arrogance, harshness, derision, and gloating over the sinners (should something afflict them), for these things cancel reward and attract punishment. Beware of them to the extreme! Be gentle, affectionate, flexible, compassionate, humble, and modest.

If the counsel given is rejected his reward will be greater, so let him be patient and bear with fortitude. Let his intention be to deliver both himself and his brother from sin. Let his attitude be that of one whose brother Muslim is in peril, threatened with drowning and burning for instance, when he is capable of saving him. God is he who grants success and support. Trust should be placed in Him and dependence should be upon Him. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for Thought:
An idle brain is a devil's workshop. Purity of mind and idleness are incompatible. Idleness is the stupidity of the body, and stupidity is the idleness of the mind. That man is idle who can do something better.  People who have nothing to do are quickly tired of their own company.

Pearls of Wisdom 357

1. The one who truly knows Allah fills all his moments seeking meaning, and perpetually increasing in obedience. [Ibrahim bin Adham]

2. When death comes it does not return empty handed, so occupy every moment in preparedness of it. [Shaqeeq al Balkhi]

3. Look at the heavens and realize Who its Creator is, and be wary that He always knows your states. [Bayazeed al Bustami]

4. Try to cultivate six habits:

1. Take nothing from Allah's provision when you disobey Him.

2. Leave Allah's dominion when you intend to disobey Him.

3. Disobey Allah only where He cannot see you.

4. At the time of death ask for respite from the angel of death.

5. Do not allow the questioning angels into the grave with you.

6. Refuse to enter the Hellfire when you are ordered to.... If none of these are possible then do not disobey Him.[Ibrahim bin Adham]

Contentment -- An Inexhaustible Treasure

A crow lived in the forest and was absolutely satisfied in life.

But one day he saw a swan. "This swan is so white," he thought,  "and I am so black.

This swan must be the happiest bird in the world."

He expressed his thoughts to the swan. "Actually," the swan replied, "I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors. I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation."

The crow then approached the parrot. The parrot explained, "I lived a very happy life—until I saw a peacock. I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors."

The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him.

After the people had left, the crow approached the peacock. "Dear peacock," the crow said, "you are so beautiful. Every day thousands of people come to see you. When people see me, they immediately shoo me away. I think you are the happiest bird on the planet."

The peacock replied, "I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But because of my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo.

I have examined the zoo very carefully, and I have realized that the crow is the only bird not kept in a cage. So for past few days I have been thinking that if I were a crow, I could happily roam everywhere."

Lesson of the Day 1360

Ayahs of the day:

Whether you let a good work be known or you conceal it, or you pardon an evil, God is most forgiving, most powerful. [4: 149]

Hadith of the day:
Verily charity to a poor is charity; charity to a relative is two things -- charity and upholding ties of kinship. [Sunan an Nasai]

Wise quote of the day:
The one who blindly follows the dictates of his ego, is like the one who has befriended as sworn enemy of Allah. [Sahl bin Abdullah]

Guidance of the day:
He who witnesses a blameworthy thing that he has no power to change or forbid should detest he who is committing it and detest his act in his heart. He should leave the place, for to witness evil things by choice is not permissible.

Let those who are being enjoined good and forbidden evil beware to the extreme from arrogance, haughtiness, and rejecting the truth; or of saying to he who is counseling them, "See to yourself first!" or any similar utterance explicitly rejecting the truth. It is to be feared for such persons that God shall loathe them, that His wrath will afflict them.  [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
An honest man is the noblest work of God. Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world. We must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy.

Student Loans

Pearls of Wisdom 356

1. Repentance of liars is mere lip service, for the true repentance liberates one from sins. [Rabia Basri]

2. Even after burying your own parents you take no lesson; knowing that death is inevitable, you choose to remain heedless of it. [Ibrahim al Adham]

3. He who desires honor in this world should not make his needs known to anyone in creation, nor should he seek out the faults of any other. [Bishr Al Hafi

4. The wealthiest person is the one who has abundance of taqwa .

5. Satan does not bother to misguide the one who runs after the world for he is already misguided. [Mohammad Waa'se]

6. Those who Allah loves are granted three things -- the overflowing generosity of the river, the illumination of the sun, and the humbleness of the earth. [Bayazeed al Bustami]

7.He who truly fears his Lord has freed his tongue of vain talk. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

8. He whose heart is in the awe of his Lord, everything in creation is in awe of him. [Fudhail ibn Iyaadh]

9. The one who remains fearful of Allah is never touched by the worries of the world. [Sufyan al Thawri]

10. One's wordly abstinence is commensurate with one's longing for the world to come. [Fudhail bin Iyaadh]

How To Have An Islamic Wedding? - Mufti Menk

Reality of Time and Wisdom.....

1. Much may be done with those little shreds and patches of time which everyday produces, and which most people throw away.

2. Minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars and each moment is a day.

3. Until we value ourself; we won't value time, until we value time; we will not do anything with it.

4. Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.

5. To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom, and he who increases his riches increases his cares, but a contented mind is a treasure hidden.

6. Patience is the companion of wisdom.

7. In seeking wisdom we are wise, in imagining that we have attained it, we are a fools.

8. Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.

9. We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility of our future.

10. The art of wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.

Lesson of the Day 1359

Ayahs of the Day:
Believers, be supporters of justice, as witnesses to God, even be it against yourselves, or your parents or relatives; whether one be rich or poor, God is closer and more worthy than either. And do not follow desire, lest you pervert it or neglect it, God is aware of what you do. [4: 135]

Hadith of the Day:
Upholding ties of kinship increases one's lifespan. [Tabarani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The sign that one intimately knows Allah is that his heart is ever increasing in His remembrance. [Sahl bin Abdullah]

Guidance of the Day:
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the greatest pillars of religion and most important responsibilities for believers. It is collective (Kifaya) obligation, which means that when some Muslims do it, the others are relieved of the obligation and no blame is attached to them. However, the reward goes only to those who were engaged in it.

When the obligation is not fulfilled, all those will share in the sin and censure who were aware of blameworthy things being committed and were capable of stopping them, either by direct action or by exhortation, but did not do so. A person should do what he can, should not neglect to support God's religion, should not seek a way out by coming up with unacceptable excuses that do not relieve him from the obligation imposed upon him by God the Exalted. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for Thought:
A ready hand is better than a ready tongue. Light is the task where many share the toil. The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask from their fellow-men; and no one who has the power of granting can refuse it without guilt. 

A Beautiful Du'a for the Intelligent

Almighty God you know that I am growing older.

Keep me from becoming too talkative, from repeating all my jokes and anecdotes,
and particularly keep me from falling into the tiresome habit of expressing an opinion on every subject.

Release me from craving to straighten out everyone's affairs. Keep my mind free from recital of endless details. Give me wings to get to the point.

Give me the grace, dear God, to listen to others as they describe their aches and pains.

Help me endure the boredom with patience and keep my lips sealed,
for my own aches and pains are increasing in number and intensity,
and the pleasure of discussing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally, I might be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet.

Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not pushy; independent,
yet able to accept with graciousness favors that others wish to bestow on me.

Free me of the notion that simply because I have lived a long time, I am wiser than those who have not lived so long; I am older, not necessarily wiser!

If it please God, when the end comes,
I would like to have a friend or two left.

Ameen.

Lesson of the Day 1358

Ayahs of the Day:
If anyone wants the reward of the world, God has the reward of the world and of the hereafter; and God is all-hearing, all-seeing. [4: 134]

Hadith of the Day:
Doing acts of kindness will protect one from calamity and a bad end. [Tabarani]

Wise Quote of the Day:
The worshippers of Allah do not worship in any way better than avoiding what Allah has forbidden. [Hasan al Basri]

Guidance of the Day:
Hajj -- If the pilgrim is wealthy, let him be liberal in giving to the poor and the destitute, in helping the weak and the needy, followed by all other Muslims. Let it be done sincerely for the Lord of the worlds.

During his journey, let him be humble, modest, and submissive. This is how he should approach the King, the Compeller and Proud. Behaving with arrogance or indulging in extreme forms of comfort will cause him to be rejected by God. The more humble and modest the pilgrim, the poorer he looks for the sake of God, the better, purer, more honorable and complete will his pilgrimage be. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for Thought:
The  wicked work harder to reach hell than the righteous to reach heaven. To be in hell is to drift; to be in heaven is to steer. Hell is truth seen too late -- duty neglected in its reason. To get to heaven, turn right and keep straight.

Eid Mubarak!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah Dear readers,

A dear student of mine sent me this beautiful poem as well as her summation of what we had attempted to learn in our Character Building and Soul Searching Class.

Anything that is good is from Allah, anything deficient is from my own self. It just reminds me of what my own teacher says : "The teacher is simply the traffic cop making sure the traffic is going in the right direction -- into the presence of Allah."

As for my part all I can do is echo what Moulana Rumi said " Don't look at my face but take what's in my hand."

BismillahiRahman-nirRaheem

A Guiding Light  

I was lost and I found you

I was hopeless and you showed me how to find hope through dua

I was weak and you showed me strength through Tahajjud

I was blinded in darkness and you showed me light through seeking knowledge

I said my loved ones are ailing; you said the cure is in sadaqa

I was running off the track and you showed me how to get back on track

I said my children are in pain you said heal them, protect them through sadaqa

I came to you crying and you showed me the place to cry was in front of Almighty ALLAH

I came to you in a panic you said panic makes the calamity worse

I came to you wounded and you said it was temporary

I was looking for a shortcut in life and you said find it in the long rakahs of Tahajjud

I was tangled in this dunya you showed me how to be free

I said my duas need to be heard, you said dollar – a - day sadaqa or what you can afford -
 – and neither your sadaqa nor your dua will be rejected by The MOST HIGH

I was running and you asked me to slow it down

I would be confused and you said WHY??

I had doubts and you provided clarity

I was hurt and you said I would heal

After 6 days of a marathon I used to stop at your tafsir to breathe – now where do I go?
After defeat where do I go?
When I panic where do I go?
When I am lost where do I go to?
When I am wounded where do I go?
When I need you where do I go?

This poem is written as a farewell for Iffath Hasan (Iffath Aunty) for her relentless service to the community character building, soul searching class for 21years. Please free to share.

By: Nusrat Ahmed student 07/22/2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summation

1. I am forgetting I said, cure is in reading a Juz a day, cure for Alzheimer’s she proclaimed

2.Migraine my head is splitting I said Read it daily she said, believe in it, blow on it, for any illness, aches or pains….41 times Surah Fatiha, 41 times Ya Salaamu, 100 time Lahaoula Wala Khuwwata Illa Billahil Aliyul Azeem, of course before and after 7 times Darood she proclaimed

3. I would like to control my Nafs (lower self) I said, follow the Sunnah Fast on Monday and Thursday she proclaimed

4. My Duas need to be fulfilled I said, do it through Sadaqa Dollar a Day or what you can afford but consistency is the key she proclaimed.  ALLAH SWT does not reject Sadaqa and nor your Dua she proclaimed
5. I am afraid of long term illness I said, read Surah Tagabun she proclaimed

6. I need to strengthen my Eimaan develop my sincerity, read Surah Ikhlas 100 times daily she proclaimed

7. I need to protect my loved ones I said, Hisaar (protection through) – Surah Fateha, Ayatalkursi and the 4 khulonce, before and after Darood she proclaimed

8. Haya, modesty I said, avoid mixed gatherings – Do it for ALLAH she proclaimed

9. The purpose of life I said, follow the Sunnah she proclaimed

10. Through her smile, calm voice, persistent on the same issues, same topics, same people, she said it again and again.

11. If you have attained one lesson it is this she proclaimed – use your time wisely

12. Do not buy anything you do NOT need.

14. Treat him (your husband) like a king -- he will treat you like a queen she proclaimed

15. Last but not the least learn to forgive, be relentless in your journey to forgive, be good to everyone especially to your enemies, your foes, people that you have conflict with she proclaimed.

16. Control your tongue the root cause of all evil is not YOU it is your tongue she proclaimed!

This narrative is written as a farewell for Iffath Hasan (Iffath Aunty) to capture some of the essence from her teachings. Please free to share.

By: Nusrat Ahmed student 07/22/2014
Bullet points by Nusrath Ahmed, capturing some of the essence of Iffath Hasan's teachings.

A strong person / A person of strength....

1. A strong person works out everyday to keep his/her body in shape.... but a person of strength kneels in prayer to keep his/her soul in shape.

2. A strong person isn't afraid of anything .... but a person of strength shows courage in the midst of his/her fear.

3. A strong person won't let anyone get the best of his/her..... but a person of strength gives the best of his/her to everyone.

4. A strong person makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future .... but a person of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them.

5. A strong person walks sure footedly .... but a person of strength knows God will catch him/her when he/she falls.

6. A strong person wears the look of confidence in his/her face .... but a person of strength wears grace.

7. A strong person has faith that he/she is strong enough for the journey .... but a person of strength has faith that it is in the journey that he/she will become strong.

Resolve to improve life this Ramadan.....

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE LIFE

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey
is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest
your energy in the positive present moment.

3. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does.

4. Don't waste your precious energy and time on gossip.

5. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

6. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind people of their mistakes
of the past. That will ruin their present happiness.

7. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

8. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

9. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away
but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

10. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

11. Each day give something good to others.

13. Forgive everyone for everything -- hoping to be forgiven by Allah.

14. What other people think of you is none of your business,
just do the right things.

15. Put Allah first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.

16. The best is yet to come -- Paradise!-- strive for it.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. If you know Allah you will always be happy. So, know Him and be happy.

19. The hardship of obedience disappears and its reward remains.

20. The pleasure of sins disappears and its punishment remains.

Lesson of the Day 1357

Ayahs of the day:
If God willed, God would remove you, humankind, and bring forth, others. And God is able to do that. [4: 133]

Hadith of the day:
Indeed charity extinguishes the wrath of the Lord and it protects against the evil death. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
There can be no good in excess, just as there is no excess in good. [Imam Abu Hanifah]

Guidance of the day:
It is most important for he who is about to set out for the pilgrimage to do his utmost to make his provision halal and his expenses from licit source, for he who uses illicit money for the pilgrimage will not be accepted.

Let the pilgrim feel pleased when he spends his money in the course of his journey, for these are expenditures that he will be compensated for and the consequence of which will be goodness, benedictions, ease, and affluence. It has been transmitted that that which is spent on pilgrimage is similar to that spent on Jihad, the reward for every Dirham will be seven hundred. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Their is no instinct like that of the heart. The head learns new things, but the heart forever more practices old experiences. Wealth and want equally harden the human heart. Two things are bad for the heart -- running up stairs and running down people.

Beauty of a woman.....

1. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.

2. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

3. The beauty of a woman is not in her facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

4. It is the caring, that she lovingly gives, the passion she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years will only grow.

5. She is not made to be the admiration of all, but the happiness of one.

6. Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother -- the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

Ramadan Mubarak!!!

                                                      Beauty Tips

1. For attractive lips -- speak words of kindness

2. For lovely eyes -- seek out the good in people

3. For a slim figure -- share your food with the hungry

4. For beautiful hair -- let a child run his or her finger through it once a day

5. For poise -- walk with the knowledge you you'll never walk alone -- people, more than the things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.

6. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand -- you'll find one at the end of your arm.

7. As you grow, you'll discover that you have two hands -- one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. 

The Reality of Life

Life is a journey and death is not the end.

No human being ever created will ever cease to exist: we were created for eternity.

This life is brief, the next life is forever.

Everything in life is a test. All our deeds, good or bad, will remain with us for eternity.

The material possessions will remain in this world and be inherited by others who may fight over it after we are gone.

We need to prioritize our life and work for our the Akhirah and not just chase after the Dunia.

Although we live in this world and have to raise families and earn our living, we shouldn't get attached to it.

The next life is eternal thus we need to be ever more concerned about how we would be there: whether we'll have a nice house in Jannah or not?

Let us prepare ourselves for the 'real life' that is to come, without wasting a single moment.

let us be prepared for our deaths before it catches up with us -- when we are unaware.

Lesson of the Day 1356

Ayahs of the day:
And who is better in faith than the one who surrenders his being to God, and is a doer of good, and follows the way of Ibrahim, rightly oriented? For God took Ibrahim as a friend. [4: 125]

Hadith of the day:
No people ever withhold zakah except that Allah tests them with famine. [Tabarani]

Wise quote of the day:
Everyone in this world is a guest, and his money is but a loan. The guest must go sooner or later and the loan must be returned. [Ibn Mas'ud]

Guidance of the day:
He who yearns so much for the Sacred House of God and is so eager to perform that religious obligation that he strains himself to go to pilgrimage, although he is not able in every way, his faith is more complete and his reward is greater and more liberal.

 A believer should not postpone, act lazily, or procrastinate, producing excuses year after year, when he is able to go. How can he be sure that death will not overtake him, or that he will lose the ability he now possesses. He will remain indebted with pilgrimage and when he meets God, will do so as a disobedient sinner. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Hatred is the madness of the heart. A man who lives, not by what he loves but what he hates, is a sick man. When our hatred is violent, it sinks us even beneath those who we hate. Hatred is self-punishment.

Father's day -- 365 days a year

Fathers: The Gates to Paradise

It has been related to us by the Best of Creation:
He who thanks not people, can show no appreciation

To the exalted Creator and Cherisher of humanity.
Thus is gratitude one of the keys to unending Felicity.

Many are those who enrich our lives, time and again
During our brief sojourn on this earthly plane.

But near the top of the list, we must never forget
the gratitude we owe the man whose name we inherit,

He who Allah made the cause of our worldly existence.
After this, thanks of any amount becomes a pittance.

We speak of course, of fathers, if you are not yet aware,
and all the hardships and sacrifices they selflessly bear.

Not only in securing for us our means of well-being,
But in teaching us virtues, to our Lord so pleasing.

Whence did we first learn of traits defining nobility
like decency, honor, manhood, and integrity?

Where else but the school of our fatherly exemplar
Who taught so much simply through his character.

He taught us in hardship and ease, through thick and thin,
How ennobling it is to serve one's family, kith, and kin.

He taught us more through his silent contemplation
Than one ever learns from others’ endless conversation.

He taught us what it means to be truly human, upright
And how one stands on principle, regardless of one’s plight.

Without doubt, we owe so much to our mothers’ nurturing care
But he who toiled for her every comfort also deserves a share.

As so my plea to us all, that we not earmark one single day
Out of the year, to buy him a cheap gift and be on our way.

Rather, from this day forth we resolve to adhere
To observing a Father’s Day on every day of the year,

By striving to serve him in excellence, fulfilling his needs,
Showing him utmost respect and love, in word and in deeds.

O Allah, through our parents, grant us the best of endings and a goodly fate!
For if Paradise lies at the mother's feet, then the father is surely its gate!

By a Son

Pearls of Wisdom 355

1. The noblest form of mercy is to protect others from yourself.

2. Attentiveness in prayers makes us attentive to life.

3. Should you wish to ascend, look down.

4. Domestic violence -- he should remember that she is not his, she is His.

5. Master your wrath, or taste the Master's wrath.

6. To follow Sunnah is to conform body to spirit.

7. You may sometimes have to pray fast, but always pray well.

8. Do not be proud of what you have done; be proud of what you have been asked to do.

9. Inner peace comes from ignoring the verdict of others, but this is only possible when one correctly trusts the verdict of God.

10. Do not wait until your body starts to fail before you wonder who you really are. [Abdul Hakeem Murad]

Please watch and share....

Loving those with disabilities

Just sharing a short video done by Sh. Omar Suleiman released a few nights ago
on Youtube, Quran Weekly, FB, Twitter etc..,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9ZYdl2aRauo

Lesson of the Day 1355

Ayahs of the day:
There is no good in most of their private conferences, except those who enjoin charity, or fairness, or reconciliation between people. And whoever does so seeking the pleasure of God, We will give a tremendous reward. [4: 114]

Hadith of the day:
There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm. [Ahmad]

Wise quote of the day:
Of the signs that one loves Allah are that one is preoccupied in contemplation and reflection (of the Divine beauty), and that one enjoys being alone (with his Beloved). [Ahmad bin Antaki]

Guidance of the day:
To recompense for every good work is known except for fasting, its recompense is neither determined, nor limited. Allah the Exalted, Himself has said "Every work of the Son of Adam is multiplied ten to seven hundred times, except fasting, for it is Mine an I Myself shall reward it. Reflect on the promise of limitless reward from the Generous, Liberal, and Compassionate Master. Reflect also on the odor of the fasting person's mouth being more fragrant near God than the scent of musk.

The spirit of fasting is to refrain from sins and prohibited things, and neglect no obligation or duty. He who refrains from eating, drinking, and intercourse, but does not refrain from contraventions will have gained nothing from his fast but pains and discomfort. When you fast or engage in any other good work, do it well. Strive to perform all good works with excellence, perfection, and sincerity, so that God may allow you to profit from them and grant you the immense reward on the day when you return to Him. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Good habits result from resisting temptation. Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life.
Sow an act and you reap a habit.
Sow a habit and you reap a character.
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.

How much gratitude do we have?

THE WORLD IS MINE

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman,
And wished I were as beautiful.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, Allah, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy,
The lad who sold it had such charm,
I talked with him, he seemed so glad,
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, Allah, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go,
With eyes to see the sunset's glow,
With ears to hear what I'd know.
With loving family & friends to enjoy life
Oh, Allah, forgive me when I whine,
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

-------

If this poem makes you feel thankful,
Just forward it to your friends.
After all, it's just a simple reminder that we have so much to be thankful for!
Give the gift of love.
It never comes back empty

Pearls of Wisdom 354

1. Love the Holy Prophet because he makes it possible for you to be human.

2. He that considers a part of Sunnah to be small is uninterested in the Prophetic light.

3. If your birth is humble, let the Sunnah make you a noble man. If your birth is noble, endure that your acts are not less so.

4. Anyone can fear His law, but they only love it who are close to Him.

5. He that is close to God is saturated with love and acceptance, he that is far from Him burns in the hell of anger and anxiety.

6. See with God's light, and happiness will never desert you.

7. If you wish to be settled remember God properly..

8. Even if you cannot live simply, be sure to enjoy simple pleasures the most.

9. Misery is only for those without hope.

10. Forgiveness is only complete when you love those who have given you the opportunity to be forgiving. [Abdul Hakim Murad]

Heart Corruptors....

The heart becomes corrupt through six things:

1. Committing a sin in the hope of repenting.

2. Seeking knowledge and not applying it.

3. Practice without sincerity for Allah.

4. Eating the sustenance of Allah without appreciating Him.

5. Not being pleased with what Allah has destined.

6. Burying the dead without learning from it -- not preparing for it.
    [Hasan al Basri]

Lesson of the Day 1354

Ayahs of the day:
But if anyone commits an error or a sin and then blames an innocent for it, he has taken on a burden of slander and open  iniquity. [4: 112]

Hadith of the day:
He does not thank Allah who does not thank the people. [Sunan Abi Dawood]

Wise quote of the day:
When the heart is imbued with love for Allah Most High, then each word creates an impression on the hearts of the listeners. [Shah Abdul Qadir]

Guidance of the day:
To fast every Monday and Thursday is also extremely meritorious. The Prophet (peace and blessing upon him) used to fast them and say, 'These are two days on which works are presented to the Lord of all beings. It pleases me that my works are presented even as I am fasting."

To fast on Friday is recommended, due to the merits and rank of that day, but on condition that it be paired with either Thursday or Saturday, for it has been transmitted that the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) discouraged the people from fasting it on its own. Generally speaking, one should fast with frequency, for it is a most effective manner of disciplining the soul and breaking its  passion, in softening and illuminating the hearts, and in refining  the senses and imposing rectitude upon them. There is in it an immense wage and a generous reward that has neither limit nor end. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity. Cultivate only the habits that you are willing should master you. The chain of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. Each year, one vicious habit rooted out, in time ought to make the worst man good.

Understanding the best....

1. I looked at all my friends, and did not find a better friend than safeguarding the tongue.

2. I thought about all the outfits, but did not find a better outfit than piety.

3. I thought of all types of good deeds, but did not find a better deed than offering good advice.

4. I looked at all types of sustenance, but did not find a better sustenance than patience. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Pearls of Wisdom 353

1. Put your hope in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins.

2. The extent to which one understands the nature of dunya (this world) is measured through the degree of his detachment from it.

3. A slip of tongue is more hazardous than a slip of the foot.

4. If you are bent on committing that sin, then seek out that place which is bent on keeping God out of it.

5. To deem that God is with one every moment is the greatest expression of faith.

6. The scandal monger harms three people with his tongue -- himself, his listener, and his target.

7. The surest way of achieving heaven on earth is contentment with His decree.

8. Indeed the sword may wound the body, but it is foul speech which wounds the soul.

9. Steeped in error is he who can find time to seek out the faults of others.

10. A Muslims humiliation comes from his heedlessness of his religion, not in his lack of wealth or stature. [Othman radi Allah anhu]

Mother's day -- 365 days a year for a Muslim....

                                                           Mothers

From Surah al-Rahman are the glorious words of our Creator:  "Then which of the favors of your Lord will your deny?" 

Yet how often we deny the greatest of favors that the Bestower has granted us.  This favor, in the form of a woman......

A woman who carried us within her for almost a whole year of her short life in this world, bearing every hardship and discomfort to protect and nurture our frail being as the Fashioner gently prepared us to come into this worldly realm....

A woman who braved death's door, embracing pain unimaginable to even the most stalwart of warriors, that our tiny form may chance to take its first breath, open its eyes to the light of a new home, and feel her warm, soft caress, as she forgets all that she went through, to make comfortable our awakening into a new world....

A woman who had forsaken rest, slumber, and dreams for far too many nights; to rise instead, and answer the pitiful wail of a helpless creature that always knew she would be there to answer its plaintive cry, even as the whole world slumbered on into the dead of the night......

A woman who bore weakness to give forth from her being, a pure and heavenly nectar to nourish our growing bodies and our thirsty souls with sustenance to define our humanity ever onward......

A woman who watered and pruned our character with all the patience and care of a master gardener turning a wild shrub into a beautiful tree.......

A woman who was always there for us, no matter how many backs were turned to us, no matter how many doors closed in our face, to give us a shoulder to cry on, an ear to heed our complaint, a comforting bosom to embrace when there was no other.......

A woman who, even after all of our blunders, all of our impudence, all of our ungrateful gestures and insolent remarks, will not hesitate to say I forgive you when no one else in the world will....

A woman who we call Mother.

If we only knew her lofty station in the sight of He whose mercy is endless, a single portion of which He showered upon the world and it manifested itself as the undying compassion of the mother to her child.

"THEN WHICH OF THE FAVORS OF YOUR LORD DO YOU DENY?" 

To deny is to show ingratitude.  To show ingratitude is to lose one's blessings......like sand flowing through one's fingers.

To show ingratitude to the all Merciful is to show ingratitude to the means He creates out of His endless mercy.  WHAT OF THE MEANS WHICH BROUGHT US INTO THE WORLD?

If one's mother is alive, then cry out of thankfulness to Allah, go to her, sit at her feet, kiss her on the forehead, look her in the eyes and tell her how blessed you are for someone like her......

Tell her how much you love her.....

And never forget the immortal words of our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):

"Paradise is under the feet of the mother...."

From,
a son

Lesson of the day 1353

Ayahs of the day:
And whoever commits a sin only sins against his own soul; and God is most knowing, most wise. [4: 111]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever constantly prays for forgiveness, Allah will give him a way out of every difficulty and relief from every worry, and will grant him provision from where he did not expect. [Sunna Abi Dawood]

Wise quote of the day:
Know that it is not your family and friends, but rather your deen which truly looks after you. [Hasan radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the day:
It is a sunnah to fast six days in Shawwal, to bid farewell to Ramadan and compensate fro any other deficiency in one's fast, for supererogatory (nafl) devotions compensate for deficiencies in obligatory ones. It is meritorious to fast the Day of 'Arafat, which is the day of Hajj, the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah'. Then comes the Day of 'Ashura', which is the tenth day of Muharram. 

It is strongly recommended to fast three days every month. It is better and more meritorious for the person wishing to fast to make them the White days -- these are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of every month, and should be given priority. However, to fast any other three days is also good, even if not consecutively. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad]

Food for thought:
The grave wherever found, preaches a short and pithy sermon to the soul. How small a portion of earth will hold us when we are dead, who ambitiously seek after the whole world while we are living. We weep over the graves of infants and the little ones taken from us by death; but an early grave may be the shortest way to heaven.

Friends who bring us closer to Allah should be sought....

Not everyone suits to be your friend

Friends have a large influence on our lives. Islam has emphasized on choosing companions who are upright and noble. The Prophet (peace be upon him said), “Man is on his friend’s religion. Therefore, man should see with whom he is making friends.” (Abu Dawood, no.4815).

Friendship that leads one to Allah’s disobedience is not worth it. Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi mentions in his book Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin (pg. 126-132) some valuable points on this topic:

Know that not everyone is suitable to be your friend. You must verify that this potential friend has the necessary characteristics that make friendship with him something to be desired. The one you seek to befriend must have five characteristics:

• He must be intelligent, as there is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one who understands things as they are, either on his own, or if they are explained to him.

• He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him.

• He must not be a fasiq, the one who openly disobeys Allah, as such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted.

• He must not be an innovator, as his over-indulgence innovation is feared from befriending him.

• He should not be too eager in seeking the dunya. Which means that he is not willing to sacrifice his hereafter for it.

Pearls of Wisdom 352

1. Wasted is the scholar who is not asked about what he knows.

2. Wasted is the wealth which is not used in good.

3. Wasted is the knowledge which is not acted upon.

4. Wasted is the goodly advice which is ignored.

5. Wasted is the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) which is not recited from.

6. Wasted is the heart which is firmly planted in the mud of this world.

7. Wasted is the life which has made no provision for the ultimate journey of the Akhira (next world).

8. How strange is the one who claims to know death's reality and yet can go on enjoying himself heedlessly.

9.  How strange is the one who knows Reckoning to be true and yet goes on hoarding ceaselessly.

10. How strange is the one who believes in destiny and yet cries over the loss of that which is fleeting.  [Othman radi Allah anhu]

Good reflection....

Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

Do you know why a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small?
Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. Look Ahead and Move on.

Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamonds! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says,
"Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in Your Abilities.

A blind person asked a wise person "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

When you pray for others, God listens to you, blesses you and them. Sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

WORRYING does not take away tomorrows' TROUBLES, it takes away today’s' PEACE.

Lesson of the day 1352

Ayahs of the day:
Whoever does evil or wrongs his own soul then asks forgiveness of God will find God most forgiving, most merciful. [4: 110]

Hadith of the day:
Whoever removes a worldly hardship from a believer, Allah will remove one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection from him. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:
The one who detaches himself from the world and turns to the Divine, is honored by the Divine turning unto him. [Ma'ruf Kharkhi]

Guidance of the day:
The sagacious believer should be ready for Layla t'ul-Qadr. He must remain watchful and constantly engaged in good works. The important thing is that when it does come it finds him absorbed in his good works, remembering Allah the Exalted, neither distracted, heedless, nor absorbed in frivolity.

It is unimportant whether he actually witnesses Laylat'ul-Qadr or not, for the works of he who is absorbed in devotions during it will be equivalent to the works of a thousand months, whether he is aware or not which specific night it is. He should watch for it and be  prepared every night of the month, because much disagreement exists between scholars as to which night it is. It can occur in other than the last ten nights, but more frequently does in them. This is the opinion of the majority of the scholars. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
Gratitude is a duty ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect. Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. Gratitude is not only the greatest virtues, but the parent of all the others. There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it. Nothing tires a man more than to be grateful all the time.

Love of God -- the essence of every good

Allah Most High says in His Noble Qur'an:

Those of faith (Imaan) are overflowing in their love for Allah. [2:165]

Say (O Mohammad), "If you love God, then follow me; God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is most forgiving, most merciful." [3: 31]

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give more than
100%?

 Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving
 more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants us to
give over 100%.

How about achieving 101%?

 What equals 100% in life?

 Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these
 questions:

 If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
 23 24 25 26.

 If:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K

 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

 K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

 Then, look how far the love of God will take us:

L-O-V-E O-F-G-O-D

 12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty
that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get us close, and
Attitude will get us there, It's the Love of God that will put us
over the top!

To increase our love of God all we need to do is to be grateful for
all we have been blessed with, and show our gratitude through
always being obedient to Him.

Pearls of Wisdom 351

1. When both the lawful and the prohibited are present in a thing, it is its prohibited aspect which will always be most prominent.

2. If there is fear that even a tenth is haram, then our way is to leave the remaining nine-tenths, though they be halal.

3. Worldly honor may be through wealth, but heavenly honor is certainly through works.

4. Death -- A single word which contains within it every goodly advice.

5. Do not look at a man's prayers nor his fasts, rather, measure him by how well he deals with others, the compassion he shows his fellow men, his wisdom and his integrity.

6. No matter how correct it may be, one should still strengthen one's opinion through consulting people of knowledge. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

The easiest way to memorize the Noble Qur'an....

By: Shaikh ‘Abdul Muhsin Bin Muhammad Al Qaasim an Imaam and Khateeb in the Masjid of Prophet (SallAllaahu alaihi wa sallam).
Translated by: Abu ‘Abdis Salaam Siddiq Al Juyaanee

All praise and thanks belongs to Allah and may the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and all of his companions.

The following method (for memorizing the Qur’an) is distinguished due to its facilitation of a well-grounded and strong memorization of the entire Qur’an in a relatively short period of time. The following is an example of this method utilizing the first page of Suratul Jumu’ah as an example:

1-Recite the first verse 20 times
2-Recite the second verse 20 times
3-Recite the third verse 20 times
4-Recite the fourth verse 20 times
5-Recite these four verses together 20 times to fortify the order of verses (1-4)
6-Recite the fifth verse 20 times
7-Recite the sixth verse 20 times
8-Recite the seventh verse 20 times
9-Recite the eighth verse 20 times
10-Recite verses five to eight 20 times to fortify the order of verses (5-8)
11-Recite verses one to eight 20 times to solidify the memorization of this page

Similarly, utilize this method for every page of the Qur’an, to proceed to a new page the following day; first start by reciting the previous page 20 times to fortify the memorization of that page, then proceed to memorize the new page utilizing the method I previously mentioned.

And all success is from Almighty Allah.

Lesson of the day 1351

Ayahs of the day:
Whoever migrates for the sake of God will find many a refuge on earth, and plenitude. And anyone who leaves his home taking refuge in God and the messenger of God, and then death overtakes him, his reward is up to God; and God is most forgiving, most merciful. [4: 100]

Hadith of the day:
Be indifferent towards this world, and Allah will love you. Be indifferent to what is in people's hands, and they will love you. [Ibn Majah]

Wise quote of the day:
Don't grieve, everything you lose comes around in a another form. [Mawlana Rumi]

Guidance of the day:
Just as the believer should identify his good works in the month of Ramadan and show diligence, so should he be extremely careful to avoid transgressions and maintain himself at a distance from them, for sins committed during blessed times are much worse and deserving of much more severe punishment, as a counterpart for the the multiplication of rewards for good works at those same times.

In this noble month one should increase one's charities, assistance and comfort to the poor and inquire after the widows and orphans. One should increase one's recitations and studying of the Qur'an, secluding oneself in the mosques (I'tikaf), especially during the last ten days.  [Counsels of Religion]

Food for thought:
Every quarrel begins in nothing and  ends in a struggle for supremacy. A long dispute means that both parties are wrong. In quarreling the truth is always lost. When we quarrel, how we wish we had been blameless!

Pearls of Wisdom 350

1. The strength in one's resolve is that one does not leave for tomorrow what one can do today.

2. Know that it is by ilm (knowledge) that one must speak, and that it is with hilm (forbearance) that one must remain silent.

3. Imaan is that one recognizes the One True God in the depths of his heart, and that he confirms it with his tongue, and that he acts upon the Divine Prescriptions of Shariah.

4. Covetousness is itself poverty regardless of how rich one is; detachment is itself wealth regardless of how poor one is; not wanting vengeance is itself patience regardless if one was wronged or not.

5. Doing good for a good done to one is simply repayment, whereas doing good for an evil done to one is a tremendous virtue.

6. Decrease in one's speech brings wisdom, decrease in one's food brings health, decrease in one's sleep brings worship, and decrease in one's meeting with the common folk brings aafia (safety). [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Visiting the sick....

Rasul Allah (Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The one who visits the sick is in fact like one who is in the fruit garden of Paradise so long as he does not return." [Sahih Muslim]

There is great merit in paying a visit to the sick, whether one knows the patient or not. The following is a story of how a man came to take the shahada. 

The man was in a hospital sharing a room with a Muslim. One day some people came to visit the Muslim. They came in, hugged the Muslim brother, kissed him, and talked to him with love and affection. They stayed for a while and shared a closeness that was true. After they left, the man asked the Muslim if those were his brothers who had just visited him. The Muslim replied, "No, they learned that I was sick today, at the Friday prayer, and so they came to visit me. I just met them today." This shocked the man. Those people had not acted in an awkward stranger fashion but like true brothers.

This led to the man asking more questions and finally accepting Islam. This duty of visiting the sick is always blessed by Allah (Subhana wa ta’ala). In addition, this time it also served as a vehicle to guide a man to Islam.

Lesson of the day 1350

Ayahs of the day:
Whoever intercedes for good has a share in it, and whoever intercedes for evil has some responsibility for it. And God is watching over all things. [4: 85]

Hadith of the day:
No money has ever diminished because of charity. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:
The human heart comes into the world overflowing with light (nur). But be warned that as the world (dunya) encroaches upon it, this light slowly fades away and darknesses take root therein. [Mansur Ammar]

Guidance of the day:
Never request those to whom you give to do something for you, or serve, or respect you, for if you do, this will be all the reward that you will receive. Never request the poor to thank or praise you, nor to mention to others what you have given, for  this will diminish or altogether cancel your reward.

Never refrain from giving charity for fear of poverty or diminution in your wealth, on the contrary, charity is that which attracts wealth and affluence, and protects from poverty and need. Refraining from charity brings about the opposite, it attracts poverty and drives away affluence. You must give charity and expend of those things that you love best in order to attain goodness. Rejoice when someone solicits at your door, for it is God the Exalted's gift to you. [Counsels of Religion by Imam al Haddad]

Food for thought:
A true gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally. The final test of a gentleman -- his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him. The man who is always talking about being a gentleman, never is one.

Pearls of Wisdom 349

1. Rein in your tongue from complaining about others, and you will be granted a life of happiness.

2. The reward for every virtue has its measure, yet the reward for patience has no measure.

3. Your fear of Allah is commensurate of what you know of Him, and your lack of fear regarding Him is commensurate with your ignorance of Him.

4. You are determined to lose yourself in the baggage of this world, while the world is equally determined to remove you from itself.

5. Taking pains to remove the pains of others is the true essence of generosity.

6. The heart is dead, but its living again lies in knowledge; Knowledge too is dead, but its living again lies in the seeking after it.

7. Erase old sins with new virtues.

8. The amount of knowledge which suffices the believer is that which keeps him in awe of the Divine.

9. Man knows he is weak, yet how strange that he continues to disobey the One Who is strongest of all. [Abu Bakr Siddiq radi Allah anhu]